Away from keyboard #4. Gorky Park. In the very middle of Rostov-on-Don

Greetings to everyone who is reading this words!

Today i will tell you about my afk time in the Rostov-on-Don's city park named Gorky Park.

What is this place? A tourist book would says that it is one of favorite places for walking and resting for the citizen and guests of Rostov-on-Don. It would also said that it is the oldest park in the city. It was founded in the year 1813. Before that time there were the gardens of the head of the city 'Yashchenko'. He gave them to the city as a gift. Very generously of him! In the years of the Second World War the territory of the garden city was practically destroyed but was actively recovered in the post-war years.

There are some sculptures in this park. One of the is near the entrance of Gorky Park. «The flower girl». Which is - surprise, surpruse - a girl with a flower in her hand and a bucket at her feet. The creators of this masterpiece are the Rostov's Tarasenko workshops. It is interesting that the « The flower girl» is made not in real size – her height is more than the height of an average man. But the girl looks smaller because she is sitting.

Also because of the fact that the bunch of flowers in her hand is not very big, some of Rostov's people call the monument «The girl with the ice cream». The monument «The flower girl» is popular with the residents and guests of Rostov, as you can see, the sculpture of the girl has had her waist and shoulders polished by the touch of many people. Sometimes a caring Rostov girl will show her love to the monument by giving a manicure and pedicure to the bronze beauty.

If you have read my previous stories about Rostov-on-Don you might get the impression that it is a large industrial, transport and market city. This impression is right. The markets are full of life and there is trade going on in the city at all times of day and night. Therefore, the monument to the vendor, a sculpture of a traveling salesman know as a chapman, is considered to be one of the symbols of the city of Rostov. A few centuries ago a chapman was a person bearing all sorts of goods in special bags or boxes – from beads and threads to fabrics and books. The monument was opened in the year 2006. The creator of the monument is the sculptor Dmitry Lyndin. As you can see, the sculpture represents a tall, bearded merchant, who holds in his hands the box with the inscription: «Trade righteously and you will prosper!».

The inhabitants of the city often call the monument «the merchant with a cat», because of small sculpture of a cat situated next to him. There is a belief, if you rub your palm on his clothes and your current desire will be fulfilled, and the money in your pockets will increase. There is also another tradition to put coins into the chapman’s money box (the box-bag on his shoulder), to stroke the cat and after to make a wish while holding the stuck-out thumb of the left hand of the chapman. The cat looks very cute... for a monument of course :)

There is a monument to Lenin on the left side of the main entrance to Gorky Park.

The monument to the Great October revolution is on the opposite side of the Park. You can see three male figures: sailor, soldier and a worker, who proudly and solemnly hold the Red Flag. The inscription on the front side of the monument reads: In this place on October 26, 1917, was held a mass-meeting in support of the victory of the socialist revolution in Petrograd and the establishment of Soviet power in Rostov-on-Don.

Opposite the entrance to the Park from the street 'Big Garden' is a bronze circle that shows the exact center of the city. You can stand on it and make a picture.

There are a few more outstanding things in Gorky Park. The Observatory, in which anyone who wants to can hear a lecture about the celestial bodies, touch a piece of meteorite or look at the spots on the Sun through a telescope. Sadly I couldn't get there because they had a day off... but maybe another day, later... :)

If you go further into the Park, you'll see a lot of alleys, cafes and playgrounds as well as an amusement park. The Park has a rotunda, monuments and seven fountains named: «Eastern», «Cave», «Western», «Goldfish», «Lighthouse», «Neptune» and «Herons», which are the monuments of architecture and history. Beautiful flower beds littered around will not leave people, who are very fond of flowers, feeling indifferent.

There are also some quiet alleys for a walk.

The art gallery «Under the open air» is open every day attracting the eye with captivating scenes. It has pictures from Rostov's painters and the products of craftsmen from the decorative and applied art world. Here you can find a nice souvenir for your family and friends. Well, i found some anyway :)

I hope you enjoyed our today's small walk as well as the previous one. Have a good day and till next time! ^_^